Is Conor Lamb how we win the house in 2018?

[Casprings]

Lamb looks like he might win tonight. That said, he is a moderate/conservative dem. He has stated he will not support Nancy Pelosi for speaker, for example. In districts like this, is Conor Lamb how we win back the house?

[MineralMan]

1. Yes. It is.

[NCTraveler]

2. We do it by supporting the Democrat that comes out of the primary.

This link is also not very clear right now. If Lamb wins, how much of it is actually due to Lamb?

People want to take the mess that is electoral politics and put a nice clean packaging and bow on it. Not possible.

[bearsfootball516]

4. A lot of it is due to Lamb.

Saccone isn't an exciting candidate, of course. But Lamb has run a flawless campaign based around being a liberal/moderate who still shares a few conservative values that voters in the district hold dear.

[NCTraveler]

5. I have seen nothing to tell me he has done anything other than run a great campaign.

That doesn't negate my point. It's like saying Doug Jones was the right path because he ran a great campaign, which he did. There are multiple forces in these events.

[bearsfootball516]

7. Well yeah, Doug Jones won because his opponent was a pedophile.

Saccone, although boring, has been a vocal Trumpian for years. Ever since the race started, he's been advertising himself as "Trump before Trump was Trump."

[NCTraveler]

8. There is a clear Trump factor that cannot be dismissed.

It is separate from Lamb. I think we are agreeing, for the most part. You have now mentioned another variable that is separate from Lamb. I was making no greater point than that. It's cannot be defined as a single factor reason.

[bearsfootball516]

10. Agreed. The Trump factor is real.

[karynnj]

18. As you said you can not put a bow on a very simplistic win and replicate it

The closest might be to do what many, including Howard Dean advocated for. To support and develop good, strong candidates who represent the district well. It is true that many strong candidates - good people, articulate, engaging, and a good fit even with adequate resources - will lose if the Republican runs a satisfactory campaign and the district prefers a Republican. However, while some still lose, if these tough conditaions are not met - we will rarely win.

Or said mathematically, it is necessary, but not sufficient that the Democrat in districts like this be personable, very qualified and a good fit to the district.

[GulfCoast66]

3. It is what a 50 state strategy looks like.

It how we win.

[redstateblues]

6. In the TN Senate race? Yes. Phil Bredesen was elected Governor as a moderate, problem solver.

He got a lot of Republican support and he was a great Governor. We have to defeat Marsha Blackburn.

[Blue_true]

9. We need to recognize that we need to run candidates that fit their districts or states.

The purity bullshit got us stuck with Trump.

[beachbum bob]

11. what lamb says now about supporting pelosi for speaker won't be what he does if he should be

in congress after Nov 2018 and pelosi has the democratic majority....its politics and you gotta say and do what you have to do to win right now....

having conservative leaning democrats is the way to win in conservative leaning districts. They are still democrats

[karynnj]

19. It depends what you mean.

If the Democrats take the House, there will be an election in the caucus for speaker. I assume that his vote will be determined by who runs. It is entirely likely there will be a contest and he is likely to vote for someone opposing Pelosi. However, assuming Pelosi wins, he will almost certainly vote for her as leader over Ryan or another Republican.

[FakeNoose]

12. Why Conor Lamb is different

I sure hope Conor Lamb wins tonight! I hope the 18th District (Pittsburgh suburbs) can feel good about his victory.

Conor Lamb is a true Democrat because he'll support the Party on all common issues. He grew up in a prominent Democratic Pittsburgh family and he served in the Marines. He's an Irish Catholic and he stated that he's "personally" against abortion. However he's pro-choice in that he believes every woman has the right to make her own decision about motherhood. In that way he's decidedly different from Rick Santorum and other one-issue politicians who ran their campaigns by opposing abortion (anti-choice). It's possible for Catholics to be personally against abortion, and yet pro-choice from a legal standpoint. We see this in our Senator Bob Casey who is also an Irish Catholic, and he's personally against abortion but he's taken the pro-choice position. I see no conflict in this because it exactly matches my own views on the matter, as it does with many of the younger citizens of Pennsylvania.

I'm saying this because I believe we have to get beyond the pro-life/pro-choice debates, there are so many other things to focus on. The more time we waste arguing about abortion, the more damage and evil the Republicans are doing to our country.

Rick Saccone is a bad candidate for many reasons. He supports the GOP and Trump, he's 100% NRA and gun rights for everybody, 100% anti-choice and he wants to exacerbate all the liberal/conservative battles every chance he gets. Conor Lamb is the next generation, and he gets how important it is to bring people together and find our common core. Whether he votes for Nancy Pelosi or not, what does that matter? Conor Lamb has spoken with many people in the 18th District and I think he's got a good feel for how to represent them in Congress. This is a smart young man who deserves an opportunity, and he'll be a good Representative.

[BannonsLiver]

13. Does Lamb have to run again in November if he wins?

[scheming daemons]

15. Yes, but in the new PA-17... which will be more Democratic Party friendly.

[mvd]

14. It's not ideal, but in some cases we may need guys that fit the district like Lamb

He is pro-union if a bit socially conservative and supportive of fracking. I still think that progressives should not give up on their message anywhere, however.

[DeminPennswoods]

16. A return to Tip O'Neill's famous quote "all politics is local"

Dems will win by having candidates focus on issues that are important to their district and not nationalizing their campaigns. For ex, Lamb supports legislation to ensure miner's pensions are kept intact.

[FSogol]

17. Every area is different. n/t

[NewJeffCT]

20. every district is different

Democrats are a big tent party. In some districts, a Conor Lamb will work. In other districts, you'd need somebody more progressive.

[workinclasszero]

21. By voting for democrats?

Yes it is.

I'd rather have someone that will vote democratic 75% of the time as opposed to a damn republican that would vote anti-democratic 100% of the time and sellout America to the Russians as well!

[malaise]

22. Can Dems just win tonight without the pre-win division posts

That is all

[Casprings]

23. Well, they did!